Spider
review at intermusic.com - excerpts: "The amp models are far less
complicated than those on both POD and Flextone and here you can choose from
six that cover most bases from which to construct any tone. Instead of a whole
selection of inflexible effects modules, Spider offers a brand new feature;
that of Smart Control FX. The effects are split up into Modulation and Delay,
the former comprising a digital chorus, flanger and tremolo, alongside a stereo
delay, ping-pong and tape echo simulation. You can only choose one effect from
each module, but each is totally programmable. With the Modulation effects, you
can increase the rate of each by turning the knob within that effect's control
area."

In Line6 products, are the Tone
controls ever placed before the amp distortion? Yes - the treble control is pre-dist on some Line6 models,
giving you a 1-band EQ pre-dist and a 3-band EQ post-dist.The more extensive "pre"
placement in the Valvetronix is part of what is good or at least realistic
sounding in the VOX Valvetronix design.A classic Boogie amp has more like a 4-band pre-dist EQ, and 5-band
post-dist EQ.

Review of Line 6 Flextone Duo Digital Modeling
Guitar Amplifier

Author: Ken Schuller
Date: November 7, 1998

The Line 6 Flextone is one of many solid state guitar amplifiers
incorporating digital modeling technology to approximate the sounds of classic
tube guitar amplifiers. Other contenders in this field include the Yamaha
DG100-212, the Johnson Millennium, and Line 6's own AX2. Rather than spend
pages comparing these other amplifiers to the Flextone, this review judges the
Flextone on its own unique merits.

The Flextone is available in several configurations. From least to most
expensive, these are the Flextone (60W, 1X12, $799 list), Flextone Plus (100W,
1X12, $899 list), Flextone Duo (100W, 2X10, $949 list), and Flextone HD (300W
head-only, $999 list). This review will focus on the Flextone Duo.

The Flextone Duo is a stereo combo, feeding 50 watts per side into 10 inch
Eminence speakers. Line 6 uses Eminence speakers (rather than more traditional
"guitar voiced" speakers like Celestions) because they have a relatively
flat frequency response. This means the digital modeling alone has the most
effect on tone, with no distortion from the speakers or the power amp section,
which also means you get the same tone at practice volumes as you do at stage
levels. The digital models present here are a cross-section of some of the
greatest amplifiers produced in the last 45 years , including the Fender
Deluxe, Fender Bassman, Vox AC15, Matchless Chieftain, Marshall JTM-45,
Marshall Plexi, Marshall JCM-800, Soldano, and the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
Tremoverb. The fact that this amp uses digital modeling to produce its tones
also means that the engineers were able to come up with some interesting
hybrids- one grafts the top of a JC-120 onto the bottom of a Marshall JTM-45, one
samples a Dumble combo and adds some digital tweaks, one combines the tones of
several different lead amps and places the EQ post-gain, and the final is a
layered model that superimposes a traditional "clean" amp and a
modern high-gain amplifier, where the user tweaks the pre-gain to determine
which proportions of the two models are used. Finally, there's a model of a
1960's Arbiter Fuzz Face.

Great amplifier tones aren't the only thing present on the Flextone Duo,
however- Line 6 has included a plethora of very transparent, very usable stereo
effects. There's a built-in, user-defeatable noise gate, reverb, compressor,
tremelo, two different choruses, two different flangers, rotary speaker, and
delay. Although the noise gate isn't "tweakable", it's either
"on" or "off", it's quite effective at reducing hiss and
noise at loud (and even not-so-loud) volumes. Line 6's approach to reverb is
unique as well; in those models of amplifiers where the original amp had a
spring reverb (like the Fender Bassman), you get a model of a spring reverb- in
models of amps without reverb (like the Marshall Plexi), you get a digital room
reverb. The compressor is adjustable from 1.4:1 all the way to infinity:1. The
tremolo is modeled after the classic Fender tremelo. The first chorus is
square-wave modulated, like a typical "rack" chorus. The second
chorus is sine-wave modulated, and modeled after the classic Roland CE-1. The
first flanger is subtle, with no pre-delay. The second flanger is inverted,
with a deeper range. The rotary speaker has two fixed speeds, slow and fast- a
nice touch from the engineers at Line 6 is that when going from the slow to the
fast speed (or conversely, from fast to slow) the speed gradually increases or
decreases just like a real Leslie would. There are actually two independent
delays built into the Flextone; each with a full three seconds of delay. Why
two independent delays? When switching from one amp channel to another (for
example, pre-verse or post-solo), the delay tails smoothly across the change
rather than just abrubtly dropping off. The chorus, flanger, and rotary speaker
on the Flextone Duo are stereo, and can be used individually, or in combination
with the digital delay. (The compressor can also be used in combination with
the digital delay.) Line 6 also includes a delay/swell combination which can be
used to simulate an E-bow.

The Flextone Duo, as shipped, has four programmable channels. These can be
used to store any combination of amplifier model setting, EQ, gain, channel
volume, effect type, and effect parameters. In addition, the top panel of the
amp is also usable as a channel in "manual" mode. Adding the optional
Floor Board footpedal controller ($299 list) gives the user access to an
additional 8 programmable channels, and 16 preset channels. The Floor Board
actually does quite a bit more than add access to memory locations, and
subsequent paragraphs discuss this in more detail.

The Flextone Duo's top panel is very user-friendly, and will have the most
novice user tweaking and saving channel settings in no time. From left to
right, there are 10 knobs; master volume, amp model select, drive, bass, mid,
treble, channel volume, reverb level, effect tweak, and effect select. In
addition, there are 7 buttons; manual, channel A, channel B, channel C, channel
D, save, and tap tempo.

There are only a few steps required to set up a channel to your liking and
save it. First, choose the amp model from the 16 available, then set drive, EQ,
reverb, and effects to taste. The effects are tweaked by a combination of the
"effect tweak" knob and the "tap tempo" button. Typically
(and logically), the effect tweak knob controls the intensity of the effect (or
in the case of the delay, the feedback level of the delay); the tap tempo
button determines the rate for the chorus, delay, flanger, rotary speaker, and
attack rate of the swell+delay. Then, simply hit the "save" button
once, choose the channel to which you wish to save your settings, and hit that
channel's button. That's it! It's worth mentioning that any channel's settings
can be tweaked while the channel's in use, like slowing down or speeding up the
rate of a delay or the speed of a rotary speaker, or turning channel volume up
or down, to adjust for live performance.

The back panel of the Flextone Duo is also deceptively simple. There's the
receptacle for the power cord, which is detachable and an industry-standard PC
power cord, available nearly anywhere and in a number of lengths. (This is very
smart design on the part of Line 6!) There's (of course) a power switch, a
stereo headphone out, a remote in (for the optional Floor Board), stereo
effects return, and stereo effects send. (NOTE: Stereo Line 6 amplifiers, the
Flextone Duo, Flextone Plus, and Flextone HD, have a stereo effects send and return.
The monaural 60W 1X12 Flextone has a monaural effects send and return.) The
effects loop is pre-Master Volume. The send can be used as a Line Out in
situations where you want to use the amp as an onstage monitor and feed the
house PA direct, but take note that the Flextone's internal cabinet simulator
is bypassed with this practice, and therefore it's recommended that you use a
direct box between the send and the house PA.

The Floor Board, although optional, is highly recommended. Not only does the
Floor Board allow the user access to 8 more channels of storage, but it brings
with it a plethora of other features. These include a volume pedal, a wah pedal
(modeled after a classic '60's Vox wah), a chromatic tuner, and the ability to
switch individual effects on and off in real time. The user gains the ability
to footswtich distortion (which basically turns up the amount of drive, even if
the drive is programmed at full), drive (which boosts/cuts channel volume), EQ
(which boosts presence from 3-6 dB, depending on the amplifier model in use),
trem/chorus (which switches chorus, flanger, tremelo, or rotary speaker effects
on/off), delay (which switches delay on/off), and reverb (which switches reverb
on/off). The Floor Board also has a tap tempo switch, and LED display. It
connects to the remote jack on the back panel of the Flextone via a standard
RJ45 (category 5) patch cable; a 20' cable is supplied with the Floor Board,
and longer cables are available from any computer store. For those that simply
want a remote way to switch among the four user channels on the Flextone, Line
6 also offers the FB-4 ($100 list).

With all of the features discussed, the most important aspect of the Line 6
Flextone has yet to be discussed- how does it sound? I'm pleased to report that
the sound quality of this amplifier is simply fantastic.

Accuracy of the various models is highly subjective- it's fair to say that
none of the amp models present in the Flextone sound exactly like the amps
they're supposed to emulate. However, they're very close, and it takes either a
highly trained ear or a/b-ing the original amp with the Flextone to discern the
differences. Line 6's "Tubetone" modeling is simply the best (solid
state) approximation of actual tube response and tone available today. It's
important to note that the amplifier models are most effective when used in the
manner or application where the original amps were used- in other words, a
Stratocaster through one of the Fender models, a Les Paul through one of the
Marshall models, et cetera. When used in this manner, the Flextone really shows
off the amount of engineering and thoughtful design Line 6 put into this
amplifier. For instance, the Fender Tweed Deluxe model functions very similarly
to the original; the Deluxe had a single tone control (basically treble
roll-off). In keeping with the spirit of the original, Line 6's "Small
Tweed" model has the treble control pre-gain, and the bass and mid
controls post-gain, so the bass and mid act as they would at a recording
console. The Brit Class A (Line 6's model of the Vox AC15) is set up similarly.
All of the models available on the Flextone are similarly produced; the tone
knobs are faithful to their resultant tweaking on the original amps, the drive
controls are faithful to the pregain, and as mentioned, even the reverbs are
accurate in their approximation of the original amps.

It's important to note that no amplifier can or will be one hundred percent
accurate in reproducing the tones of twenty classic tube amps. The key thing
for most players is variety, and the Flextone supplies that in droves, at a
price considerably more reasonable than the Yamaha or Johnson offerings.
Because the Line 6 is a completely software-driven amplifier, it's upgradeable,
and installing an upgrade is a matter of turning four screws, removing a chip,
and replacing it. As the Line 6 has no tubes, there's no warm up time, no
fluctuation in tone based on room temperature, and no long-term degradation of
original tone. Because the Line 6 uses flat-response speakers rather than
voiced guitar speakers, the same tone is present any virtually any volume.
Finally, because the Line 6 includes the most popular effects in the console of
the amplifier, this enables a working guitarist to carry a few simple pieces of
gear to a gig rather than fifteen or twenty. For the working guitarist, playing
clubs, looking for tonal variety and the ability to reproduce some of the most
popular guitar tones of the last 45 years, there's no amplifier offering more
"bang for the buck" than the Line 6 Flextone.